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"As you did it to
one of the least of these My brethren,
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Poverty. Hunger. Disease. Abandonment.These words are all-too familiar to the handicapped children of India. Children like little Udayakumar (left) are often seen as a curse on an already poor family, and frequently find themselves living on the streets. Help the Helpless is a nonprofit organization which provides a home for children like this, and an education, all in a loving, Catholic environment.
Hope for the HandicappedSt. Mary's School for the
Handicapped, the Deaf and the very poor is solely dedicated to the care
and education of the destitute handicapped orphans of India. |
| There are very few government programs to help these children, and there is no welfare system in India. Schools like St. Mary's are the hope for these children, but with no government funding, the school and orphanage are dependent upon the charity of their benefactors. There are presently more than 300 children on the waiting list seeking entrance into the school and orphanage, but there are not sufficient funds to support them. You can help! For as little as $10 per month, you can be a sponsor for one of God's precious children. Or, for $15 per month, you can sponsor an older child, or a special needs child who requires more care than the others. | |
The BeginningIndia operates according to a caste system. This means that there are different classes into which people are born. One of the lowest castes in this system is a group known as tree climbers. Their job is to climb palm trees and coconut trees and collect the juice from the flowers growing at the top. In 1980, one such climber was killed when he fell from a tree. He left behind him a wife and seven children. The children ranged in age from ten years to two weeks. The widow and her relatives thought the tragedy was related to the birth of the youngest child. The baby was handicapped at birth, and this was interpreted as a bad omen. Because of this superstition, which is common among non-Christians in India, the mother thought the baby would only bring more tragedy to the family. With this in mind, she decided to abandon her child. News of this situation came to the attention of Father Antony, a Catholic priest, who acted quickly to save the child. Having no way to raise and educate the child himself, Fr. Antony decided to start a school which would care for many children in similar circumstances.
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Mary, Queen of India, pray for us! |
The Sad RealityAbout two percent of India's 980 million people are born with a serious disability. The survival rate among such children is very small. Given the religious and cultural beliefs mentioned above, handicapped babies are rejected even by parents, relatives and friends because they are thought to be a bad omen for the family. Even if they survive early childhood, these children grow up scorned, despised, malnourished and uneducated. Many of them are exploited as beggars in order to obtain food or money for others. |
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St. Mary's School & Orphanage for the Handicapped |
Hope for the FutureThese children can be taught to be self-sufficient. However, in order to do this, an environment which is accepting, supportive, and understanding must be provided. St. Mary's School for the Handicapped, the Deaf and the very poor was established with this purpose in mind. In just the past few years, through the hard work and charity of many people, St. Mary's has acquired a 37- acre campus and is now equipped with the necessary classrooms and facilities for living, cooking, dining, etc. to house and educate 300 children.
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| In 1992 a new school builidng was constructed to house and educate up to 300 children. Since then the school has grown very quickly. As of November, 2007 there are over 1900 children being cared for and educated at St. Mary's and it's schools!! In addition, there are several hundred children who have applied for entrance, but a lack of funds prohibits this for the time being. It is the hope of St. Mary's School and Orphanage to have full enrollment as soon as possible. For this we need your help! | |
A Worthy CauseSt. Mary's accepts only handicapped children from among the poorest of the poor: the orphaned, the abandoned, those who live in fields, those who would have no access to any form of education, etc. Once a child has been admitted into the program, St. Mary's covers all expenses. As you can imagine, there are many expenses associated with the care and education of these beautiful children. Some of these include teachers, nurses, cooks, maintenance staff; food, books, medicine, beds, clothing, etc. The school presently employs eight teachers, three cooks, three nurses, two auxiliary nurses, and several agricultural workers. There are also a number of volunteers. Doctors are available whenever needed. Plans are under way to build a workshop for children who are unable to pursue academic studies. Here they will be taught the skills necessary to make products they can sell in order to support themselves. Engineers have been enlisted to provide the machines necessary to produce some interesting items. |
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A Success StoryThe program at St. Mary's has provided over 300 young people with the physical, emotional, educational, and financial help necessary to set them on the road to self sufficiency. Here are just a few of the many success stories that can be told: |
Jack
Byrnes with some of the children at St. Mary's
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"I was an orphan. Fr. Antony took me into this education program. I passed into the teaching program. Now I am employed in a government school."
Mrs. Chinnammal
"As a poor boy I was a servant assigned to the care of cattle. Both my brother and I were educated in this program. I am a teacher and my brother is a truck driver."
Mr. Seperumal
"When I was six months old my father abandoned my mother and me. Fr. Antony found employment for my mother and I was educated by this program. Now I am serving as a seamstress."
Miss Suriya Gandhi
"As a little boy I was a rack picker (picking up waste paper along the roads). I was taken into this program. Now I am a motor mechanic."
Mr. Kamaraj
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Vijayalakhsmi
isn't just kneeling for
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We Need Your Help!You can become a sponsor for as little as $10 per month. High school students and children with special needs may require up to $15 per month. If you cannot afford this amount, a joint sponsorship can be set up. Some of the benefactors provide for more than what is necessary for the child they sponsor, so with their permission the extra funds are applied to a particularly needy child. Almost 100% of the money donated is directed to the care of the children. |
| Your help in spreading the word about this program will be greatly appreciated because we choose not to spend money on advertising. If you desire copies of our brochure or if you would like any further information, please contact us at the address listed below, or if you'd like to carry a graphical link to Help the Helpless on your website, please email the webmaster at helpthehelpless@yahoo.com. | |
The Benefits You ReceiveBeyond the obvious benefit of knowing that you are helping a child who might otherwise have no hope for the future, you will receive the spiritual benefit of the prayers of the children which are offered five times daily, and being remembered daily at Fr. Antony's Mass. Each month, Fr. Antony offers Mass for all of the benefactors as part of a perpetual Novena of Masses offered for this intention. When Fr. Antony is informed of the death of a benefactor, he offers a Mass for the repose of the person's soul. Twice each year, in July and at Christmas, you will receive a letter from the child you sponsor. You will also receive a picture and a report regarding the child's progress. You are also welcome to write the child directly. You will also receive a written acknowledgement of your donation. If you wish to travel to India, you are welcome to stay at the orphanage. The school and orphanage are near the National Shrine of Our Lady and the Basilica of St. Thomas (the Apostle who preached in India). |
Help the Helpless is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation organized under the laws of the State of Minnesota. The Board of Trustees are: Fr. Antony-- Founder and Consultant; Fr. Robert Altier-- President; The Very Reverend Carl E. Kaltreider--Advisor; Mr. David Krause, Esq.-- Secretary; Dr. Terence Coyne, MD-- Assistant Secretary; Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Kay Foht-- Treasurers; Lori MacDonald-- Co-treasurer.
Please direct all questions to Fr. Altier at the address above, or to the webmaster at helpthehelpless@yahoo.com. Thanks, and may God bless you for your generosity and kindness!
Image
of "Mary, Queen of India" kindly provided by the
Immaculate Heart
of Mary site.
This page was last updated on 2/11/2008.
